Industry 4.0 - With Private Equity Into A New Era

The purity standards for clean rooms where wafers for the
semiconductor industry are manufactured, for example, are
extremely high. Humans are not in a position to ensure such
the growth strategy. The subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-
Württemberg was won over by the experienced management
team and the company’s USPs. “HAP harbours major
ROBOTICS SPECIALIST ON THE RISE
a sterile environment − but robots are. Dresden-based
Handhabungs-, Automatisierungs- und Präzisionstechnik
GmbH (HAP) develops and sells highly specialised
robotic systems that enable automation solutions for the
production of semiconductors. It is a niche market in which
the company focuses in particular on retrofitting existing
production plants.
Founded in 1991 as a spin-off from the Carl Zeiss Group, HAP
received the Saxon Innovation Award for one of its first automation
systems. Today, HAP generates approximately €15
million in sales and employs some 70 people.
In 2014, HAP brought on board the private equity firm Süd
Beteiligungen GmbH (SüdBG), which not only ensured
succession at the company, but also provided a partner for
potential for international growth. So far, only a handful of
companies have switched to robots, which dramatically
reduce potential sources of problems during the production
process,” says Thomas Tettenborn, project manager at SüdBG.
HAP managing director Dr Steffen Pollack is pleased with the
partnership with SüdBG: “We have been able to make our
internal processes more efficient and increase sales performance
considerably, plus we have found a trustworthy partner
with a long-term focus who will help us to further develop
HAP and gear it towards future market requirements.” The
objectives are clear. In addition to customer acquisition, the
focus will be on a stronger international presence. According
to Pollack, SüdBG’s network and industry expertise will
provide crucial support during this process.
www.hap.de